Dept of Expenditure & Reform is engaging in ‘scaremongering’

Alliance of Unions for a No vote describes claims by Department as  ‘misleading, inaccurate and a gross interference in the democratic decision making process’

Friday 15^th March 2013. The Alliance of Public Service Unions Against the draft Croke Park Extension has described comments by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (DPER) as misleading, inaccurate and a gross interference  in the democratic decision making process of the public service trade unions.

The Alliance of unions for a No vote was responding to a threat by the DPER that the protections of Croke Park on Pay and Compulsory Redundancies would cease on foot of a rejection of the draft proposals from the Labour Relations Commission for an ‘Extension’ to that Agreement.

The Alliance of unions – which comprises the INMO, the IMO, the CPSU and Unite – said DPER was engaging in ‘scaremongering’ and attempting to unilaterally rewrite the basis on which the talks took place in the first instance.

Citing the contents of a letter from the Secretary General of DPER, Robert Watt, inviting the Public Service Unions to discuss measures to secure additional savings of €1 billion the Alliance for a No vote said  the letter never even suggested that Croke Park would cease nor did it ever describe the talks as setting out to end Croke Park and set up a new standalone Agreement. 

Furthermore, the Draft Proposals from the LRC clearly indicates that the unions are being asked to vote on an extension to Croke Park rather than its termination.

A spokesman for the Alliance said; “it’s most unfortunate  that  the employer is seeking to  threaten workers during a democratic ballot with compulsory redundancies and further pay cuts especially when DPER knows full well that Croke Park will stand even if the LRC draft proposal  is voted down.

DPER may well at that time choose to advise the Government to break Croke Park or to invoke the inability to pay clause contained in it but otherwise the deal  stands. For anyone to imply anything else is to undermine and weaken our well established collective bargaining process” the spokesman said.

The Alliance of Unions for a No vote have embarked on a nationwide campaign against the proposals contained in the draft Croke Park Extension. The next public meeting in the campaign will take place next Tuesday in Letterkenny, Co Donegal and that will be followed by meetings in Limerick on the 20^th and Galway on the 21^st.

ENDS.